Vietnam named in top three South and Southeast Asian countries in girls’ development

This is the first index of its kind, which was launched to mark International Women’s Day and to consolidate regional data on important investment areas for girls across South and Southeast Asia.

The index features 19 South and Southeast Asian countries’ achievements in girls’ education, economic opportunity, protection, health, political voice, and legal standing.

Plan International’s studies show that investment in gender equality, particularly in adolescent girls, can bring about tremendous results for all.

Vietnam is a stand-out performer on the Asia Girls’ Leadership Index, ranking third of 19 countries but in the protection domain it has been placed in the bottom half, ranking 11th of 17 countries for the protection of adolescent girls.

Investing more in protection from violence could help Vietnam retain its place as one of the most robust, enabling environments for girls’ leadership development in Southeast Asia, according to the survey.

‘Now is the right moment in history for Asia to invest in girls’ development and leadership’ said Bhagyashri Dengle, Regional Director of Plan International Asia-Pacific, adding that ‘Asian economies continue to out-perform the rest of the world, and our governments, businesses and social change sectors are poised to do more with domestic resources than ever before. It is time to show what we will do with and for girls in Asia.’